


Home's Hearth

by Heartofhubris, Redorangeyellowflickerbeat



Series: Home's Hearth [9]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Female Ed, Genderbending, Getting Together, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:21:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23995927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartofhubris/pseuds/Heartofhubris, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redorangeyellowflickerbeat/pseuds/Redorangeyellowflickerbeat
Summary: Well, we went ahead and wrote them into their actual daily lives. Doesn't entirely match up with previous stories published before 5/2020Abandoned as of 2/3/2021 due to a loss of contact
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Series: Home's Hearth [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/542557
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Home's Hearth

**Author's Note:**

> Ed is female in this. We played with the timeline and eden is slightly closer in age to Roy.

Time had passed them all at varying paces. Roy knew just how much the time had pained him, that was for sure. Not terribly, but he was hoping to be Fhurer already. He knew he had it in him, with how long he had managed to stand already. It wasn’t every day that you got a chance to, quite literally, save God and everyone in his home. He had reflected shortly after that over his motto, that he had always and forever held. He knew that his own power, even at that level, would only extend so far. He didn’t mind, of course, so long as he was able to offer the tools everyone needed to protect those they needed. 

His eyes ran over the people in the office just outside his door. He had some privacy, at least, if he closed the doors, but too many questions were generally raised. Each of them had managed to pair off, even if subconsciously. 

Kain and Vato were sitting side by side, their silver bracelets not strictly against code, but not strictly allowed either. Riza was resting against Heyman’s desk, her hand lightly on his shoulder for a few moments too long, as they talked with Jean. Of course, his eyes drifted over Riza, thoughts turning to what could have been, but would never be. She could never be, that was. He started to feel the pain in his heart he normally would feel upon thinking over her actions, only to have found love in another place. 

He was happy for her. He had to be. He had turned her down, after all. But, his mind was lost to work, shortly after that. He forced it to be. So, it was a surprise to him when he saw someone walking up to him, for the first time in years. His eyebrow cocked, seeing the prodigy returned to his office. He already had a quip on his tongue, but for some reason, it wasn’t connecting with his brain. He had been waiting for Eden to return. Except, he knew it was a lie. He always tried to reason that reality wasn’t exactly a lie, but more so an unfortunate, undesirable, uncomfortable truth. He couldn’t even really admit that to himself, that he cared about Eden to the point of it having kept him up multiple nights. 

It was at that time he forced himself to remember reasons he was unable to admit; his reputation, her reputation, the accusations that would follow him eventually. Everything had fallen just right after the Promised day. He was on his way to his destination, and everyone knew of Eden, and his unfortunate run-in with Truth. He still bore issues with his vision due to that, and his eyes were just slightly differently colored now.

So why the fuck was he acting like a dumb teenager with his hormones more in his dick than his head, with her right infront of him?

He really shouldn’t have fallen in love with her. Even though there was only a small gap of nine years, that was too much for either of them, he had to admit that. She was still barely an adult, the type of girl that Havoc joked about being “Jail bait” as much as he hated hearing about it. And, he had no clue as to why she had shown up here. The last time that he had seen her, and any time after the promised day, he had been a total cock to her. She had no reason to be here. He knew she was back, as he and Gracia had already spoken, but she came to his office, of all places. God, how her former title stuck on his tongue. 

“Ms. Elric,” he said, after a few moments. “You’re back.”

He looked over her, looking like all she wanted to do was run home like a scared kitten, but he knew the core of steel that ran firmly through her body. It almost looked as though she had physically ran into him, with how the breath seemed to leave her lungs when she looked directly at him. And… Was that a blush on her cheeks? It couldn’t have been, his vision must have just been playing tricks on him. 

"Yeah. Uh. I-I. Yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck, cheeks aflame. She took a deep breath, looking at him more firmly. “I just… Couldn’t stay away anymore, I guess.” What interesting phrasing… Stay away? Roy was curious what she meant when she continued. “I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye. I’m sorry I left at all, Roy.” Well, his first name startled him slightly, But when the fuck did he get awkward around a woman? Much less a beautiful young prodigy as the one standing in front of him? He had had many women in his life, after all. He had the experience, and he hadn’t exactly been chaste in Ishval with Riza, and a few other male soldiers. 

He didn’t bite his lip, no matter how much he wanted to. He didn’t run his fingers through his hair, right now, no matter how much comfort that would bring him. He didn’t show any emotion at all, in fact, with them being on state grounds. He couldn’t see a way that would turn out well. He finished locking his offices, and slipped the key back into his pocket, as he did every day. He also knew that the time she had been away wasn’t exactly kind to him. His hair started to show early signs of greys, his face was more wrinkled than ever before, and the purple under his eyes was new. 

“I was confused, until Gracia explained. I do hope if you leave again… You won’t be so hasty.” Deflect. Deflection is all he could manage, with her as beautiful as she was next to him. It was the only thing he was allowing himself to do, to help hide these terrible emotions that could only hurt the both of them. He wasn’t weak enough to be stupid with her. He cleared his throat, however, to continue. “Can I escort you home, Ms. Elric?” he then asked. It was the closest he’d allow himself to get, because dinner certainly would look bad on them both. He needed to keep his reputation, after all. After all, he certainly was too damaged for any kind of romantic love, wasn’t he?

“I’m not leaving again,” she responded. A promise, if he dared. Yet, she was quick to continue. “I was actually… going to invite you over. If you, uh, would like to, that is.” She seemed flustered, and he knew exactly what she was like when she had a plan that fell through. This could be fun, if his cards were played right. His grin turned rueful, though he knew the stress colored it and brought the humour didn’t look as genuine. It almost seemed that such an expression, almost common when Eden was younger, hadn’t been on his face in months.

“I’ll only accept since you said you weren’t running away on me.” Double edged words, as always. It was as if his response was a shield, protecting his heart from loneliness. Something neither of them could ever admit to.

She reacted with her lips pressed together and a nod, accepting the accusation. 

“I splurged on a bottle of whiskey that we can have with dinner, if you want?” He looked at her, and he could tell what she wanted him to answer with. The best he could come up with was that she thought she would be able to help him in some way. He offered a small cuckle, remembering times that he could get her to her limit in mere seconds. It was almost on the other end, tonight. 

“It’s almost as if you’re trying to apologize for something, Ms. Elric,” he responded. It wasn’t as if he could call her by that title he knew her under, even if it was on his tongue at all times. He was certain that, even if she had had suitors, she hadn’t gotten married. 

And, he didn’t see a ring on her fingers. 

“Are you?” he then challenged. He was slightly surprised when her expression turned sheepish. 

“I do feel bad for leaving. And…” she trailed off for a moment. “For how I acted before I left… We should get going, rather than just standing in the hallway, yeah?” And her words sparked the impulse to offer his arm, but he also remembered just how much she hated to be helped like that. 

“That’s a good idea,” he agreed, motioning for her to start walking, as he did, setting their pace. “Who have you all shown up to like this? I’m sure Colonel Armstrong will be excited.” 

“ Gracia and Winry, that's all. I've called a few others, but we have yet to meet. Winry knew I was coming back, though, so it didn't surprise her." He saw a moment of a bittersweet smile on her lips, before she cut herself off. “My place isn’t far.” Her request for a subject change was louder than he’d ever heard. He guessed it was a touchy subject. 

“Good to know. Should I be honoured that I’m so high up on the list?” He scratched his chin, as he asked the question, his tone claiming it was just innocent. Perhaps times passed weren’t too far passed.

“I suppose that’s up to interpretation.” His eyes cut to her for a moment, slightly surprised, and a tiny bit disappointed, that she was finally catching onto his game that he loved to play with her. But, it seemed she was enjoying their sparring as he did. 

“Since it involved whiskey, I can only think that I should be.” His response was honest, with a cocked brow. He always was so intensely cocky with her, but this only held for a moment before shifting into his poker face, as tired as it was. “I don’t remember you killing with kindness, after all.”

Her eyes rolled at his words, but they soon were at her rented townhouse. She was quick to unlock the door, letting him in. 

“It’s not much, but it’s home.” Most of the items were unpacked, at least, but it still looked entirely too cluttered. In honesty, it looked just like an alchemist's study. Organized but in the most lived in way. His eyes trailed over the books on alchemy, arranged to god knows what standard, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to trust this system for more than a stone’s throw. Uncoded circles contrasted against coded notes, but he didn’t look at it too much. He wasn’t here to snoop, after all. Her words continued once she shut the door. 

“Sorry, I… didn’t think you were going to say yes.”

“You didn’t?” Roy shot a look at her, his brow raised. “Have more faith, Ful- Ms Elric.” Elric was informal. Eden was not. Fullmetal was inappropriate, and no longer true. He set his briefcase down inside the living room, his hat getting taken off and set over the handle. He was confident the irony wasn’t lost on her, with that turn of phrase. 

“I thought you would be more busy than you apparently are. With your… rise of rank, and all.” Oh, if she knew what pressure he was under…! He heard her take off her coat, and he assumed she had moved to the kitchen. “Whiskey while I cook something for us?” He looked up in time to see her pulling the bottle out, and did he see a little strip of skin over her pants when she reached up? 

His eyes met hers, then, and shit, what did she just ask? 

“ Surely you haven't spent enough time away from me to forget that answer." He certainly wasn’t a drunk, but everyone knew he accepted good drinks. Mainly, it was to help ignore the loneliness in his heart, and hopefully offer some kind of distraction. He was an expert at holding his liquor. How he held his emotions was another story entirely. Half in effort for him to try and tease her, if that was even a thing, half to give himself something to do, he unbuttoned his uniform a little, showing some of the muscle that he had toned whilst she was gone, and some scars. After all, he hadn’t been without his battles. 

Granted, he missed her look at him, and he looked up to find her smiling at him with a drink in hand. 

“I hope it suits your tastes… Mustang.” Her smile changed a little, slightly more cocky, and he suddenly found a look on her he could live off for the rest of his life alone and he would be happy with. The moment he took a sip, though, the liquid down his throat, she was gone, a hurricane in her own kitchen, as she was trying to figure out what they could eat. 

He didn’t chime in, in case she was choosing between two things. It was her kitchen, and he normally just had takeout. Anything was better than what he had been eating. 

“Any preferences?” she suddenly asked, looking over at him. 

“I’m a meat and potatoes type of guy,” he responded. Yet, the response seemed to lack his normal tone, something small but certain in his voice missing. “But other than that, not really. I”ll eat anything.” And if she had seen some of the meals in Ishval, she’d be surprised he had any taste buds.

"Won't take long, I promise. If you want to, I have some records in the living room? Phonograph is on the table by the kitchen entrance." He nodded, even though she was unable to see him. He was quick to find a record that he knew, and he put it on, slow, beautiful tones starting to fill the small area. 

“It seems that quite a lot has changed with you, Ms Elric.”

“I grew up… Does it bother you?”

Roy certainly knew how to appreciate a woman’s physicality, in conjunction with their minds. It wasn’t a secret he was happy with just looking over a woman. He also knew just when that was appropriate. That line, unfortunately, had blurred with Eden, and he was very aware of just how much she had grown up. He’d never looked at her in a sexual way before she had left, as he knew that was just extremely wrong. Not that it made it better that he was looking at her like that now. A sip of the whiskey was vastly in order at that moment, and he drained most of the drink. She’d almost managed to win their verbal sparring before it was put down. 

"Not in the slightest." Not at all, he was just more interested in it than he strictly should have been.

"Good. Food will be ready in a moment, by the way. I hope you don't mind it spicy, I... have grown pretty used to it." It was a small hint as to where she had been, but his brain latched onto it. He could very faintly hear her humming as the music played. His eyes looked over the records in front of him, stirring on where that could be. It landed on one person, the only person Eden would have followed for years. He knew he was going to mention it at some point, but poison was hard to add to food after you had served it. 

"Food's done." Their plates were set down on the table, and she got the bottle of whisky. Roy was quick to fill his cup back up. He knew just how quickly he’d be working through the bottle, and he was hoping that she would allow him to sleep on the sofa if he did end up drinking that fast. Yet, he allowed the silence to hang between them for a few moments, before breaking it. 

"I feel like you owe me a real reason for this dinner." His words very suddenly stopped at the last word, as if he was wanting to say something more, but thought better of it. He started to eat, however, knowing neither of them said gace. Some things may have changed with her, but he was confident that wasn’t it. 

"...I don't know. I missed you. And I wasn't happy with how we parted ways." But he knew that wasn’t the end of it, however. Yet, he was a gentleman when it suited him. Even if being with Eden forced him to be a little bit of an asshole at times. 

"I'm surprised this turned out so good," he said smiling at her with a half grin. In the intimate setting, his age very clearly showed on his face. Her eyes rolled when he said that.

"I'm not a bad cook." Now.  "It does taste better than usual though."  His laugh was slightly more genuine than normal, with that response. 

"It's been so long I'm not even sure what to talk about with you." He leant back slightly, looking at her. 

"I admit, there are a lot of things I want to ask, but I almost don't feel like it's my place."

"Since I have nothing, why don't we start with your questions?" Her questions had to be vastly better than his, and they couldn't even be close to how bad his were going to be. Questions of who she had been using as entertainment, how, and which positions, filled his mind, but he forced them out of his head. 

"I just wondered how everyone has been doing. I know you've risen in the ranks, but what about the team?" 

Ah, that wasn't going to be super easy. A drink for himself. "Everyone seemed to pair off and move away. Falman and Fuery are together in Briggs. Breda and Hawkeye actually just got together." He wasn't going to go into the drama that involved Riza. She meant too much to bring up that pain again. Nor her lax attitude to everyone's feelings, for that time. "It seems everyone is, more or less, happy." He saw her nod, upon hearing that information. 

"Alphonse is married to Mei now.  Feel free to ask something. Equivalent exchange. " He saw her smile at the old adage, and he nodded, as he processed his thoughts.

"I saw that coming for ages." He finished the glass of whisky, and filled his cup again. His plate was soon finished, as he thought of his next question. The one that came to mind almost bit at him, and he was quite worried about how this would be received. “And what of Ling?” He saw her eyes snap to the plate, and she was soon finishing her cup, only for Roy to top her back off, and for that cup to disappear into her stomach as well. 

"We aren't exactly on speaking terms." Her fingers moved to her temples, and Roy filled her glass after a moment. "When he invited me to Xing I thought it was for research on linking alkahestry with alchemy. And for a while it was. But, unsurprisingly, he... inevitably wanted more than friendship." Roy looked down at his empty plate for a moment, before, without thinking, reaching over the table to gently lay his hand on hers. He heard her breath stutter,but she got a hold of herself quickly. 

"I am sorry, Eden. I know he meant a lot to you." It was a few moments of them like that before he pulled his hand back from her. It was just a moment more before he stood, pulling away from her, and getting his plate. He paused before touching her plate. 

"Are you done?" He needed a few moments from their game. 

" We can uh. Put these in the sink. I'll wash them up later." It was clear her thoughts were otherwise occupied. He took her plate, rinsed them quickly, and set them down, before moving to her sofa. A certain risk, but calculated. And, he had his glass as he sat down. It was punctuated by a sip from it. 

"I don't particularly want to sit at the table, unless we're going to play cards." But even then, he wanted to be close to her. Things were barely starting to spin, and it was clear he would not be making the best of choices. He saw her shake her head, before she joined him.

"I'm sorry, it's a sensitive subject." She finished her glass, and set it down. 

Roy, as it was, was glad that he had an excuse for him not refilling his drink again. He hesitated, before speaking. 

"I think my question qualifies you, if you want to make good on your bet."

"You said how everyone else has paired off... what about you? Anyone you've been seeing?" 

The question made him look at the glance at the cup in his hand. That was fair, it wasn’t like he had shied away from it with her. His arm moved to the back of the sofa, though he brought his hand to his forehead in an effort to sober up his thoughts. It wasn’t enough time for him to actually feel any sobering effects, though. He spoke after a moment. 

“No. My work has been impedeing that.” He sighed softly, swirling the bit of whiskey left. “I assume you haven’t been back long enough to start anything, hm?” He moved his arm to rest along the back of the sofa, his discolored eyes moving to look her in the eyes. The atmosphere was changing, becoming more charged, but not enough for anyone to admit to. And neither of them would. The balance was just enough that one small feather could tip the scales. If she didn’t pull away, he knew exactly which way he would tip the scales. And her time was limited.

He watched her tongue flick out over her bottom lip, only the finest of motions, but neither of them made a move. It was clear she didn’t have enough experience to actually take the plunge, and he couldn’t fault her for that. 

“I… Don’t know if the only person I would want to start things with feels the same.” 

And that wasn’t the right thing to say to him yet. His eyes were on her lips, and he could feel the liquor in his body. His tone soon dropped as well, huskier than before, not expecting the situation but not at all complaining. He was acting in a way he would have never would have without the liquor.

“And if that person decided to kiss you… with no warning…” he trailed off, as his eyes moved up to her lips. 

“I wouldn’t oppose it,” she replied. She was leaning in, though it was clear she was nervous he was just joking with him. “In fact… I would like it. Very much.” She was now looking at his eyes, before down at his lips again. The action only cemented his resolve, and the hand that was on the sofa moved to the back of her neck, pulling her body closer to him. His other hand moved to her torso against his, urging her legs to straddle his. There was just a moment between their torsos connecting and their lips connecting. The hand that was on her neck moved to her cheek, allowing her to pull away if she wanted, but his lips didn’t relent on pressure. Her lips were working against his, her hand against his chest so she had leverage, but didn’t press away from him. 

In fact, Eden only pressed away from him to catch her breath. 

“If you would like… We could move to somewhere a bit more comfortable?” She suggested it simply, tilting her head just the barest bit. 

“Why move?” Roy proceeded to whisper back, his lips moving along her jaw, down her neck, to her collarbone. He risked a small bite against her skin, his breath hot against her, and he felt her head fall back a little. The hand on her back moved to her thigh, squeezing it gently, forcing himself to calm down, to slow down. 

“Didn’t think you’d wanted to do this on the couch.” She looked down at him, for once. Her hands had moved to his hair, slowly carding through his hair. “But if you want to do so here… Be my guest.” Her words sparked him to almost growl. 

“When I take you to your bed, it’s not going to be so…” he paused for a moment, to form his words, and he ended up chuckling. “Carnal as I want, now.” 

Their lips came together, his hands roaming over her body, but he only let her further their actions. But damn did he enjoy each extra inch she gave him. 


End file.
